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3 Apps to Make Your Wanderlust Dreams Come True!

Sunday, August 14, 2016

I’ll be the first one to admit that I am not the world’s happiest traveler. It seems like my list of places I want to travel to grows every time I go online anymore (especially Pinterest and Instagram). It’s just the actual getting there part that I’m not a huge fan of…but it’s a work in progress!

By far the best part of getting older, in my opinion, is that I’m finally given the opportunity (i.e. time and financial ability) to start going to these places and checking things off of my list! That being said, I’m hardly raking in the big bucks (and won’t be any time soon) but that doesn’t mean I can’t still keep exploring the world and chasing my own Wanderlust Dreams!

Luckily for us, we have so many different tools and apps to help us make it happen! With all of this new traveling I’ve been doing, I’ve found a few apps to make saving up and scoring the best deals a lot easier.

1. Hopper - I'll admit it: I discovered this app with a click-bait article on Facebook advertising incredibly low flight fares. Being long-distance, we've been booking a lot of flights lately, and those certainly don't come cheap! However, after checking it out and realizing it's definitely not a scam, I realized just how incredible this app really is. Essentially, this is the ultimate app for telling you exactly when to buy your flight for the lowest price. You input which trips you're considering taking and the dates you want to go, and Hopper will watch your trip for you and send you a notification as prices go up and down...and then tells you when it definitely won't get any lower! I've been doing the math, and so far this app has helped us save over $370!! Definitely worth a download.

2. Qapital - This is one of my favorite apps on my entire phone, because it has singlehandedly helped me fund FOUR of my most recent trips, while kicking some of my worst habits at the same time (aka Chipotle Sundays...) I've written about this before while sharing my favorite apps for staying organized in 2016, and I couldn't help but bring it up again here because it is just that amazing! The gist of the app is that you can automatically save up for your next trip or weekend getaway by connecting to your bank account and having funds transferred over based on a set of rules you've created for yourself. If you're anything like me, there is a huge gap between things I want to save up for, and my ability to actually remember to transfer funds over every month. There are all kinds of different ways to setup this app, but one example is my favorite: the round-up rule. Anytime you make a purchase that has leftover change, the app will automatically round up and take the difference and deposit it into a special spot reserved for your next trip. It doesn't sound like much...but it certainly proves that small change can make a big difference! You can find a more in-depth breakdown of how the app works here.

3. Air BnB - Definitely not a new app, but I'm constantly amazed at how many people I know that have never used one! I think it comes with a lot of skepticism by people, but I also believe that's only because people don't really understand it! Personally, the idea of sharing a space when I'm on vacation creeps me out...even though I know people who have loved it! We simply search for places that we can have all to ourselves, or that have their own private entrance and amenities. You definitely need to be cautious of reading things like reviews, fine print, and hidden cleaning fees, but everything is right there on the page, so as long as you take your time, this app is amazing! How else could an early 20-something afford a beach-front condo with a balcony in California?! Not on my budget, that's for sure!

I’m already starting to plan for 2017, and I have a few places in mind but I need help deciding! Right now I’m looking at Belize, Seattle, Southern California. Where else should I add to my list?! Any suggestions between the three I’m already considering?

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